Compare rows is the comparison view of a grid: the rows your selection touches appear side by side as cards. Use it to line up values from two or more rows, see which ones are equal and step through similar rows without scrolling back and forth.
Open the comparison
Select cells in two or more rows. One row is not enough.
In the toolbar, click the compare button. Its accessible name is Stack selected rows as comparison cards. Until your selection covers two rows, the button is disabled and its tooltip reads Select cells in 2+ rows to compare. With two or more rows, the tooltip reads Compare N rows side-by-side, where N is the number of rows your selection covers.
The Compare rows dialog opens with one card per selected row, up to five cards.
The subtitle counts the rows. It reads Showing N selected rows side-by-side, or Showing N of M selected rows side-by-side when your selection holds more rows than the five cards can show.
The compare button appears only in tables that offer cell selection. See Select, copy and paste cells if cell selection is missing or off.
Read a card
A chip at the top of the card shows the row's number, for example #3.
Below it, the card lists the columns you can see, in the order they appear in the grid.
A value that does not fit is cut to two lines. Point at a long value to read it in full.
An empty value shows as a muted -.
Highlight equal values
Point at a value on any card. Every card that holds the same value highlights it, so equal fields stand out as you scan across. Empty values (shown as -) do not take part.
Match and cycle with Replace
Tick the fields whose values should decide a match. Click a field row, or focus it and press Space or Enter. A ticked field is marked, and its label changes from Select {header} for replace match to Unselect {header} for replace match, with the field's name in place of {header}.
Click Replace in the card header. Until a field is ticked, the button is disabled and its tooltip reads Tick fields below, then Replace finds the next row whose ticked fields match this card. With ticks in place, the tooltip reads Find the next row matching the ticked fields.
Replace swaps the card to the next row whose ticked fields hold the same values as this card. Values are compared as they show on the cards, and the row the card started on is never offered as a match.
Click Replace again to move through the other matching rows. A counter beside the button shows your place, for example 2 / 5.
The button flashes green on a hit and amber on a miss. When nothing matches, the counter clears. Changing your ticks resets the cycle.
Your ticks and field order stay as you set them while a card swaps rows.
Arrange the cards and fields
Drag a card by its handle to change the card order. The handle's label reads Drag card to reorder.
Drag a field row to reorder the fields within the cards. The handle's label reads Drag {header} to reorder.
Click the remove control on a field, Remove {header} from cards, to remove that field from the cards.
Bring removed fields back with Restore N hidden field(s) in the footer. The button appears while any field is removed.
Click Close when you are done.
The footer hint reads Hover any value to highlight matches • tick fields then Replace to cycle through similar rows.
Limits and edge cases
At least two rows are needed to open the comparison.
A comparison shows up to five cards. When more rows are selected, the first five in the grid's current order stay, and the badge Top 5 by visible order notes the rest.
The cards show the columns you can see. Hidden columns do not appear; show or hide columns in the grid first if you need a different set. See The data grid.
Replace only changes which row a card shows. It does not edit the rows or save anything.
If there is nothing to show, the dialog reads Nothing to compare.
Messages from the comparison and the rest of the grid are collected in Editor troubleshooting.
Note
Closing the comparison resets it. Card order, ticks and removed fields are kept only while the dialog is open, so the next time you open it the cards start fresh.
Questions, answered
Why is the compare button disabled?
It needs cells selected in at least two rows. Until then its tooltip reads Select cells in 2+ rows to compare. Extend your selection across another row and the button enables, with the count in its tooltip, for example Compare 2 rows side-by-side.
I cannot find the compare button at all. What does that mean?
The button appears only in tables that offer cell selection. If you do not see Enable Cell Selection in the Selection mode menu, the table does not offer the comparison. See Select, copy and paste cells.
Why can I compare only five rows at a time?
A comparison holds up to five cards. With more rows selected, the first five in the grid's current order stay, the subtitle counts them, for example Showing 5 of 8 selected rows side-by-side, and the Top 5 by visible order badge notes the rest. Compare smaller groups to see the other rows.
What exactly does Replace match on?
Every ticked field must hold the same value as the same field on the card, compared as the values show on the cards. Only the ticked fields count, and the card's own row is never offered as a match.
What does the counter next to Replace mean?
When your ticked fields match more than one row, Replace cycles through them. The counter shows your place in that cycle, for example 2 / 5. Click Replace again to see the next match.
Why did Replace flash amber?
Amber means no row matches the ticked fields as they are set right now. Tick fewer fields, or different ones, and click Replace again.
Does Replace change the rows or my data?
No. It only changes which row the card shows. The grid rows, their values and your data stay as they are.
I removed a field from the cards. How do I get it back?
Click Restore N hidden field(s) in the footer of the comparison. The button appears while any field is removed.
Why did my ticks and card order reset?
Closing the comparison resets it. Card order, ticks and removed fields are kept only while the dialog is open. Set them again after reopening.
Which columns appear on the cards?
The columns you can see in the grid, in the order they appear on screen. Hidden columns do not appear. To change the set, show or hide columns in the grid first; see The data grid.